Monkey

Announcing this just the week when southern is cutting train services from ED just shows how out of touch he is. As a result of Southern cutting down services, I will now use my 16-year old car everyday to drive to another station that is really inconvenient to reach by bus.

I'm appalled by Claire Perry's comments. Just wrote to her telling her just that. Not that it will help. Helen Hayes is the only one who seems to be fighting our corner.

I've emailed Harriet Harman and Sadiq Khan. I think this could all be potentially dangerous as well.

Wondering if James Barber or Renata are monitoring this thread. This is going to have serious consequences for ED families: getting to our jobs on time, picking up children from childcare...

So even though I no longer use southern, they're still going to manage to mess up my new commute on the West Croydon line. There's no limit to their uselessness.

Yes, edanna, unless you have a young baby at nursery who's not had all their shots...

Police attended twice to a group of youths screaming, knocking bins over, etc... It's not the first time. Does anyone know which house they're connected to?

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm French and married to a uk citizen. I'm applying for residency (and then nationality) as soon as I've got all the paperwork I need. Do have a look at the rules for residency. If you have been here for five years or more, I think, you can apply. I don't worry about house prices at all, nor the value of the pound. It will even out in the end and you're not going to be chucked out of the country tomorrow and having to make a distress sale. For me, the worry is a. My job and b. EU friends leaving, and the prospect of London being less multicultural. I'm also enjoying raising a little multicultural Londoner.

France also has gp-style paediatricians and children go for regular routine visits. I wish the same existed here.

Complete mess again tonight... Saw the guardian article but can't say I trust any side. There certainly wasn't a train driver in sight tonight. Bring on driverless trains!

My husband went to a shitty prep school and was written off as not academic. The rest of his school and university career proved them wrong. I sometimes wonder how skilled teachers really are in private schools. They get privileged kids through the door, select them based on tests and still can't/won't cope with anyone that doesn't fit the mould.

Blimey - and you paid ?4,000 a term for the privilege of being told your six-year-old is not academic... I'm glad you found a better school.

I was about to write a similar post and then saw yours... Same story here. Our dd changed in the last week. Everything I ask her is met with a "no". Strictly no advice to offer, sorry.

Thank you for all your good advice. My preference would go to classes but husband's refusing to treck all the way to north London. :-) I don't think the problem is with her pencil grip or muscles. She just doesn't recognise that some letters are tall letters and others not. And the way she attaches letters is not always correct. My own handwriting is horrible so I can't really help her.

They shouldn't play loud music in their garden full stop.

I'm looking for feedback on the Magic Link Handwriting programme (classes or DVDs). It's very expensive so I want to make sure it works. Thank you.

You did the right thing, Boddle.

Ottoline by Chris Riddell and The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy come to mind. Also the short version of Famous Five and The diary of Tom Gates. And for you to read to her, Little House on the Prairie.

I think too much data kills common sense. Also had my data stolen in the past, which caused me no end of problems. And when I see how I was treated by health survey England, to whom the government entrusted data about my child, I'm going to be even more careful in future.

Finally went to the bottom of it. It was the Health for England Survey as part of their Child Boost Survey. In fairness, they dealt with me very well today and called me straight back, promising I wouldn't be contacted again. The survey's based on random postcode selection - they're looking to measure and weigh children between the age of 2 and 15. Thank you all for your invaluable advice!

Thank you, Ianr.

Thanks, Saffron. I've not got all the information such as exact affiliation, survey name etc... First time they called in, hubby had a fairy long conversation with them and the subsequent three times he's been very short with them. The guys knocking on our door said we should have received two letters prior to their visit but I can't find these letters anywhere. And it's definitely my daughter they want to see. In fairness, they've offered an appointment but when we turned it down, asked if she was available now (!) My GP is as puzzled and concerned as I am. Southwark Council's teams as well. Police have made a note of it. And I'll be speaking to the school at the beginning of term. All a bit of a mystery!

Thanks, edanna. I'll look into this. Hubby didn't get details from them and they didn't leave anything behind. They said we should have had two letters, which I can't find anywhere. I'm starting to wonder if it has anything to do with me opting out of the national child measurement programme ... But that was a good two years ago...

Thank you, Mrs TP. I'm getting a few more details from the hubby - who's the one who talked to them - and calling 101. Still interested to know if someone has had a visit from these people.

Anyone else having had visits from (NHS?) people carrying out a child obesity survey and wanting to measure and weigh your children at home? They came to us for a fourth time in a number of weeks today and I'm starting to get a bit spooked by it.